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Helmed by kiteboarding pioneers Trip Forman and Matt Nuzzo and lauded by Men’s Journal as one of the best sports camps in America, Real Watersports' guides train and outfit extreme water recreationists of all skill levels. Wrangle waves during two-hour lessons in surfing, standup paddleboarding, or kiteboarding, a chimerical extreme water sport that combines a small board with a large, controllable kite to propel riders over the waves and into the air. No matter which method of propulsion you use, Real’s expert guides will teach you how to ride, chop through, or fly over the waves in private terrain set aside for Real by an exclusive permit from the National Parks Service, freeing athletes from the glare of beachcombers or the cat calls of foul-mouthed pelicans.

Weekends are reserved for relaxing?for reading a book, tending a garden, or checking the backs of wardrobes for portals into Narnia. But at Ballahack Airsoft, hundreds of urban soldiers spend their Saturdays and Sundays unwinding by unloading airsoft BBs into the chests of an enemy swarm. Here, troops patrol a field with miles of trails, woods, swamps, and clearings, decked out in camo and pointing realistic guns that fire plastic pellets. They dive behind barricades, communicate with hand signals, and strategically plan attacks, all while exchanging fire with rival teams. And if they get hit, the day isn't done. Medics can revive fallen comrades by maintaining contact for 60 seconds, or soldiers can respawn by trekking back to a predetermined point. Though it seems like organized chaos, the facility ensures the intense, fast-paced action remains as safe as can be, since all players must wear protective gear and full-seal eye protection, and be 12 years or older to participate.

THEARC Theater was created out of necessity. The first theater in Ward 8 in Washington, DC, it was founded to provide residents living east of the Anacostia River with expanded cultural opportunities and hide-and-seek spots. Constructed by local nonprofit Building Bridges Across the River, the theater aims to improve the lives of children and adults in southeast Washington through educational, health, and social-service programs such as free theater workshops and youth internships in technical theater management. Noting the tower of glass windows that crowns the entrance, the Washington Post called it "a veritable lighthouse of learning—a $27 million, 110,000-square-foot campus set on 16 beautiful green acres."

Owner Jessica Jones-Healey founded Tidewater Studios for the Arts Inc. in 2009 as a noncompetitive forum for kids to practice performing and visual arts. Winner of a 2011 Virginian-Pilot Reader's Choice Award for Best Dance Studio and Best Performing Arts Academy in Portsmouth, Western Branch, Churchland, and North Suffolk, the facility inspires children with engaging explorations into the joys of hand-made art, hand-played music, and hands-free dance.

In their 85th season, the Harlem Globetrotters have entertained millions of parents, children, and general basketball admirers with a unique brand of athletic precision and showmanship. For their latest 4 Times the Fun North American tour, the Globetrotters will add new 4-point shot spots located 35 feet from the basket, which is 12 feet farther than the official 3-point line but several thousand miles closer than the prime meridian.